Silicon is abundant in Australia in the form of quartz, but the process of smelting quartz to silicon, then to high-purity silicon has not been sufficiently developed.
The report notes that increasing the in-country production of silicon is the first step for Australia to develop its own capability and capacity in the“Demand for solar power and current supply chain dynamics means Australia must grasp the opportunity now,” the document states.
At present, around 70% of silicon is produced in China, while China also dominates the production of polysilicon. The conversion of polysilicon to solar cells is even more concentrated, with China accounting for between 75% and 97% of these stages of production.
Horizon two – actions focused on expanding Australia’s supply chain activity, such as developing more complex supply chain steps for manufacturing components for solar cells.